Roma Downey has had a vibrant career in Hollywood, but her life hasn’t always been easy. Downey’s mother died unexpectedly when she was just 10 years old — a devastating event in the performer’s life. Later, she faced uncertainty as she moved to the U.S. and found herself struggling to enter the entertainment industry.

Downey, who skyrocketed to success in CBS’s “Touched By an Angel” — which ran from 1994 to 2003 — discussed these life issues during a Sunday appearance on PureFlix.com’s “Pure Talk,” explaining that the loss of her mom left her with a “hole” that started to fill when she eventually had her own daughter.

“I had this longing my whole life that had a great h-o-l-e,” Downey said. “And yet I felt when I finally became a mother it was as if a ‘w’ had been put in front of that ‘hole’ and gave me a wholeness.”

Watch Downey share her personal and revealing story below:

Downey noted, too, that she found a friend, mentor and “second mother” in “Touched by an Angel” co-star Della Reese. Reese, who died in November, struck up a strong bond with Downey, one that also helped to fill the void from her mother’s death.